Dassault Systèmes and Leading German Automaker sign Strategic Five-Year Agreement for Sustainable Innovation

Paris – March 9, 2010 – Dassault Systèmes (DS) (Euronext Paris: #13065, DSY.PA), a world leader in 3D and Product Lifecycle Management (PLM) solutions, announced today that BMW and DS have signed a strategic 5-year global agreement to pave the way to meet the automotive market’s new challenges. Through this agreement, the companies will establish a close link between their research & development centers that will not only improve the DS automotive product offering but also the BMW development and production process. Dassault Systèmes software solutions support BMW in core areas for design and manufacturing process planning with CATIA as the backbone for product development.

The necessity to reduce C02 emission levels has forced automotive manufacturers to reshape their business processes to deliver greener cars. Fully embracing the cause of leaving a minimum carbon footprint on the planet, the implementation of the DS solutions will help automakers conceive, analyze and simulate eco-friendly low-emission vehicles like the Project I, a new Megacity vehicle, optimized for better performance and low energy consumption.

By consolidating design in a single PLM software platform BMW can tap into "proven design" concepts and re-use them across all product lines achieving time savings in the design and manufacturing of new cars. The single platform also enables all designers, including development partners in the supply chain, to collaborate, which is another factor in streamlining the design process. SIMULIA realistic simulation solutions combined with CATIA further allow BMW to virtually test their vehicle’s real-world performance early in the development cycle which helps improve product quality, while reducing time and cost of physical testing.

The agreement also defines a set of strategic projects where BMW will evaluate possible migration paths that ensure a smooth transition to Dassault Systèmes V6 PLM solutions for all its vehicle development programs.

“In my view, BMW has fully understood the importance of the collaborative and integrated Dassault Systèmes V6 solutions for sustainable innovation”, comments Bruno Latchague, executive vice president, Dassault Systèmes. “We are enthusiastic about working with the premium German car manufacturer on a new, environment friendly generation of cars and are confident that this alliance will positively contribute to the profound changes the automotive industry is going through.”